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Useless to United

Hindered by a brick wall, this outdated kitchen had too much space for entertaining and not enough for cooking. “The [original] kitchen was very disjointed and too poorly designed to function well,” said designer Jennifer Gilmer, who owns Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath.&nbsp;

A structural post now replaces the wall. In order to hide the post, Gilmer installed open and floating shelves, which are supported by wire cables. “No one would ever know that there’s a support column in the middle of this space,” she said.

While the prep area was crammed into a corner, the client still liked the idea of a hidden area for clean up. “She entertains a lot and wanted a place to put all of the dirty dishes where she could just shut the door while guests were still there,” Gilmer said.

Now, a walk-in pantry with a sink and open storage replaces the former prep area.

The lack of wall cabinetry, along with the outdated style, was Gilmer’s next challenge.

A mix of walnut wood and white cabinets blends the Tudor-style home with the client’s hopes for a classic white kitchen. “I felt it would be too stark of a contrast to her house, but I find that dark wood really helps connect to the style,” Gilmer said.

The bar took up the majority of the space, rendering much of the kitchen useless.

Now the island boasts a walnut butcher block and breakfast bar to match the updated palette. “We decided to use the walnut to tie into the Shoji cabinet, but also because it’s a softer landing space for wine glasses and dishes,” explained Gilmer.

To hide the bulkiness of the refrigerator and oven area, Gilmer designed the unit in white. “By surrounding it with walnut and adding the tilt up glass doors, this became a unit that blends these various materials into one area,” she added.

“To see a jumbled, chopped up space transform into a lovely, large and organized space is enough to make 30 years in this business worth it,” said Gilmer.